Improvements in card feed machines



March 12, 1957 J. WQQDHEAD 2,784,967

IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES Filed Sept. 8, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG].

gwm m Affo rney March 12, 1957 J. WOODHEAD IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1952 FIG. 1

. Inventor JQNEJ Noam 40 Afforney March 12, 1957 J. WOODHEAD 2,784,967

IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES Filed Sept. 8, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fl G. 2.

Inventor J /u r WOOD/I590 md. a

March 12, 1957 J. WOODHEAD IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 8, 1952 Afforney March 12, 1957 'J. WOODHEAD 2,784,967

IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES Filed Sept. 8, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 lnvemor Ahorney March 12, 1957 WQODHEAD 2,784,967

IMPRQVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 8, 1952 FIG] lnvemor 10/155 Noam/EH0 By H y Afforney United States Patent 2,784,967 IMPROVEMENTS IN CARD FEED MACHINES James Woodhead, Letchworth, England, assignor to The British Tabulating Machine Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application September 8, 1952, Serial No. 308,410

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 30, 1951 10 Claims. (Cl. 271-50) This invention relates to means for feeding a card in a step by step manner.

In various types of statistical machines, such as card punches and verifiers it is necessary to move a card step by step and it is usual to employ a reciprocating card carriage on to which each card is fed from a magazine by a picker knife. The movement of the carriage is controlled by a rack and escapement so that the columns of the card are moved sequentially past, for example, a line of punch es. The card carriage is necessarily of appreciable weight, so that the speed of operation tends to be limited by the inertia of the carriage as well as by the fact that the carriage has to return to pick up the next card after ejection occurs. The inertia not only affects the speed of movement of the carriage, but also tends to cause undue wear on the escapment mechanism at high speeds.

It has been proposed, in United States Patent 2,394,604,

to increase the speed of step by step feeding by utilising card feed rolls instead of a reciprocating carriage. This method suffers from the disadvantage that the card is not positively located during the whole of the movement past the punching position.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a card feeding mechanism of the step by step type employing a non-reciprocating drive and having means for positively locating the cards being fed.

According to the invention a step by step card feeding mechanism includes two parallel spaced endless flexible bands, means for moving both bands in synchronism intermittently, a plurality of card grippers secured to each band, each gripper having an open and a closed position, means for bringing cards sequentially to a position between the bands in which each card may be engaged by at least one pair of grippers, means for opening each gripper prior to engaging the card and means for closing each gripper, at a fixed point in its travel, subsequent to engaging the card.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 1A taken together constitute a plan view of a card punch with part of the card magazine omitted. Figures 2 and 2A taken together show a front elevation of the punch, corresponding to Figures 1 and 1A.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of mechanism with certain parts omitted.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of a card gripper in open position.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of position.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of position.

Figure 7 is a circuit diagram of the card punch.

By way of illustration the invention will be described as applied to a card punch in which the main driving mechanism, the punching mechanism etc. are generally similar to that shown in United States Patent 2,394,604. Reference may be had to this patent for a more detailed a card gripper in closed a card gripper in closed the card stacking 2,784,967 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ice description of such items as are not fully described herein.

General description The cards to be punched are zine formed by a base plate ries of vertical rods 35 (Figures are impelled from the magazine one ers 34 which have part of their covered.

When a card has advanced partly from the magazine it is engaged by two pairs of constantly running aligning rollers 31 and 117 which urge the card forward until the leading edge engages two aligning stops 38. These stops are secured to two flexible endless bands 28 on which are also mounted a number of card grippers 39. These grippers are normally open, so that the card may move between them freely until it is halted by the card stops.

The endless bands 28 are supported by a. pair of wheels 30 (Figure 2A) adjacent to the aligning rollers and a pair of wheels 29 (Figure 2) adjacent to a stacker 70. These wheels are driven from a main shaft through 3. Geneva mechanism and an electromagnetically operated friction clutch, so that when the clutch is engaged, the bands are moved in an intermittent or step by step manner.

The card is fed endwise on to the bands, that is with the line of the columns at right angles to the band and each step of movement of the band is equal to the spacing between one column and the next. The direction of rotation of the wheels 29 and 30 is such that the tops of the bands, on which the card is resting, move from right to left as shown in the drawings. This movement brings a pair of card grippers 39, adjacent to the card stops 38, against a pair of cam plates 40, which move the grippers to a closed position in which they hold the card.

Thus the card is positively held by the grippers as it is moved past a punch unit 14 (Figure 1). As the card travels towards the left, other pairs of grippers 39 successively engage the cam plates 40 and are closed upon the card. The grippers are so spaced along the bands that five pairs hold each card.

There are twelve punches in the punch unit 14 which is similar to that shown in the reference patent. The punches are selectively operated under control of a keyboard 87 (Figures 1 and 1A) for punching holes representative of either alphabetic or numeric data.

The card is automatically stepped along one column spaceeach time a figure or letter key on the keyboard 87 is depressed. Provision is also made for spacing without punching and for the automatic skipping of pre-determined groups of columns.

After the card has passed the punch unit 14 it is moved between a contact roll 51 and a set of twelve sensing fingers 43 (Figures 1 and 3)., The spacing between the sensing roll and the punch unit is such that when the first column of one card is being sensed, the first column of the following card is aligned with the punches. The sensed data may be made to control operation of the punches so that each card controls punching of the following card. This gang punching allows the same data to be punched in each of a group of cards without operating the keys of the keyboard 87 for each card.

As the bands continue their movement, the card is carried partially round the periphery of the wheels 29. The first pair of card grippers then engage a pair of cam plates 63 which return the grippers to the open position. The resiliency of the card causes the end to spring away from the wheels 29 and as feeding continues it engages a guide 111 which directs the cards into a stacker 70. The remaining pairs of grippers are opened successively placed in a card maga- (Figure 1A) and a se- 1A and 2A). Cards at a time by two rollcircurnference rubber arenas as they engage the plates 63, thus finally releasing the card.

By energizing an e'lectromagnet 65 the plates 63 may be moved clear of the grippers, which now remain closed until they engage a second pair of cam plates 64 beneath the lower side of the bands. Under these conditions the card is released to engage a guide 113 which directs it into a second stacker 71.

Driving mechanism A vertical main shaft 1 (Figure 1A) is rotated at constant seed by a driving motor (not shown). A worm wheel2, secured to the shaft 1 drives a gear 3 secured to a horizontal shaft 4.

The shaft 4 has secured to it two gears 5 and 6. The gear 6 drives a pinion 114 which is integral witha worm gear 8. The pinion and worm are free to rotateon a horizontal shaft 9 which extends the length of the ma chine. The worm gear 8 drives a pinion 115 which is secured to across shaft 7 which carries the first pair 31 of constantly running aligning rollers. Secured to the shaft 7 between the aligning rollers is a gear 53 (Figures 1A and 2A) which, through an idler 52, drives a gear 116 secured to a shaft which carries the second pair 117 of aligning rollers. w

The gear 5 drives a gear 11- secured to a sleeve which is free to revolve on shaft 9. A spiral gear on the sleeve 16, through a similar gear, drives a shaft 118 which operates the punching mechanism. The sleeve 10 also drives the chip clearing device of the punch unit 14 through a worm gear 13 (Figures 1 and 2) and a gear 119.

A bevel gear 15 on one end of the sleeve 10 drives a cross shaft 17 through a bevel gear 16. On the other end of the shaft 17 is secured a friction plate 44 which forms part of a friction clutch generally similar to that described in the reference patent. The plate 44 is spring pressed against an escapement wheel 45 having six teeth on the periphery. An armature 57 of an escape magnet 121} normally engages a tooth of the escapement wheel to hold it stationary. The escapement wheel may also be held by energizing a clamp magnet 122 which attracts an armature 121 so that the wheel is held between the remote end of the armature and a block 62 fixed to a plate 26; v

The escapem'ent wheel is secured to a sleeve 123, free on the shaft 17. On this sleeve is a gear 46 which drives two gears 47 mounted on studs fixed in the plate 26. Two pins extend from the outer face of each of the gears 47 and these pins engage slots in the periphery of a wheel 48, thus providing a Geneva drive to a shaft on which the wheel is mounted.

A toothed wheel 59 also mounted on the sleeve 123, intermittently rocks 'a pivoted lever 60 which operates a set of changeover contacts 61.

'The shaft 20 carries the pair of band driving wheels 29 and drives the contact roll 51 through gears 49 and Through a pair of bevel gears 19 and 18, the shaft 20 driver; the horizontal shaft 9.

A's'econd bevel gear 36 on the shaft 9 engages a bevel gear 21 (Figure 1A) to drive a shaft 22 on which are mounted the card impelling rollers 34.

Card impell ing mechanismcard after the forward end has been advanced to the.

aligning rollers 31, allowing these rollers more readily to feed the card up to the card stop. I

The front of the card magazine is formed by a vertical plate and this together with a card throat member 84 ensures that cards are fed one at a time.

The two pairs of aligning rollers 31 and 1 17 co-operate 80 are pressed down upon the driven rollers. This con-.

struction allows the idler rollers to' be" swungclear of the card path whilst ensuring that when they are in the normal position they exert equal pressure upon a card beneath them.

Band feed and gripper mechanism The bands 28 are preferably made from thin steel strip since they must be flexible and yet must not stretch to any appreciable extent. On each band are four card stops 38 (Figures 1, 1A, 2 and 2A) and twenty card grippers 39 divided into four groups of five.

Each gripper comprises a block 73 (Figures 4, 5 and 6) which is secured to the band 28 by two screws in the base of the block is a recess 73a, running transversely of the length of the band. Each of the screws 130 has a shouldered portion 130a which is of such a length that when the screws are tightened the gripper is held securely with the band passing flat across the recess. When the band is curved in passing round the wheels 29 and 30, it is free to form a slight arc within the recess, thus relieving strain which would otherwise occur.

A U-shaped member 74 is pivoted on the block 73 and forms the actual card gripping member. Holes in the member 74 accommodate the ends of a double hair-pin spring 75 whilst the centre part of the spring is engaged in slots in upstanding projections of the block 73. This provides a toggle action for member 74 so that it is held by the spring 75 either in an open position (Figure 4) or a closer position (Figure 5).

A projection '76 on member 74 is engageable by one of the cam plates 46 to turn it clockwise about the pivot to move it from the position of Figure 4 to that of Figure 5; The same projection 76 is engaged by the cam plates 63 or 64 when the card is to be released. As is shown in Figure 5 the gripper member engages only the edge of a card 128, so that it does not interfere with the punching of the card.

The periphery of each of the band driving wheels 29 and 30 has two slots to allow free passage of the screws 130 which hold the grippers on the bands. Each of the wheels 29 has a number of studs 77 projecting from the periphery. These studs engage corresponding holes in the bands to. provide positive driving. The studs taper slightly from bottom to top to prevent the band binding on them. i

The pair of wheels 3! have no studs 77 and are free running so that they act as guides for the band without requiring synchronisation between the two pairs of wheels 29 and 30.-

Sensing mechanism An insulating bar 79 (Figure 3) carries twelve fingers 43 (Figure 1). On the end of each finger, remote from the bar 79 is secured a sensing brush 73 of the usual type. The brushes co-operate with the common contact roll 51 which is mounted for rotation between two plates 54 which are pivoted on the plates 26 and 27 by studs 56. The plates 54 are urged clockwise by two springs 55 (Figure 3) to maintain the contact roll in engagement with a card 128 being sensed.

The sensing brush 78 for each index point position is connected to the corresponding punch magnet (Figure 7), so that, when desired, data may be gang punched from one card into the following card.

Stacking mechanism As already explained, when a gripper 39 has moved engages one of the cam plates 63 toopen thegripper and release the card. By energizing the magnet 65, the end of an armature 66 (Figure 3) is pulled downwardly so that it no longer engages one arm 41 of a lever secured to a shaft 131. The two plates 63 are also secured to theshaft 131 which is free to rotate in hearings in the plates 26 and 27 and are tensioned by a spring 67 so that theyswing anti-clockwise to a position clear of the gripper projections when the armature is moved. An arm 68 of the lever on shaft 131 is engaged once each cycle by a cam 72 mounted on the shaft 20. This moves the plates clockwise and allows the armature 66 to return to the normal position if the magnet 65 is no longer energized.

Punch operation A pack of blank cards to be punched is placed in the card magazine 110 (Figure 1A) and a release key 89 (Figures 1A and 7) is depressed to effect feeding of the first card from the magazine to a position with the first column under the punches of the punch unit 14.

With the release key depressed, a circuit is made from a supply line 91, contacts (shifted) of release key 89, contacts R611, relay R4, relay R5, relay R10 to supply line 90. Contacts R40 close to provide a holding circuit for the relays across the release key contacts. Contacts RSa close to energize the escape magnet 120, thus releasing the escapement wheel and allowing the wheels 29 to be driven through the Geneva mechanism. The card impelling rollers are also driven through the gearing described so that the first card is fed forward to be engaged by the aligning rolls which feed the card against a pair of card stops on the bands. round, the first pair of card grippers will close. on the card and the feeding of the card will be continued by the bands.

The contact brushes of a control commutator 37 (Figures 1A and 7) are driven by the shaft 22 which carries the card impelling rollers, so that the brushes move over the contacts of the commutator in step with the feeding of cards. For compactness of construction the contacts are arranged in two concentric rings. The contacts in the two rings are staggered with respect to each other, so that one brush is on a contact of the inner ring when the first column of a card is under the punches and the other brush is on an adjacent contact of the outer ring when the second column of a card is under the punches.

The contacts, some only being shown in Figure 7, are connected individually to corresponding sockets on a plugboard (not shown), allowing plug connections to be made to them as required. In addition, permanent connections are made from those contacts which are engaged by the brushes when the first column of a card is about to come under the punches and when the last column has passed the punches.

When the card being fed has moved forward to a position in which the first column is about to come under the punches, relay R5 is de-energized to break the circuit to the escape magnet 120 to bring the card to rest with the first column positioned forpunching. This is effected by a circuit through the control commutator from line 91, earn contacts 86 (Figures 1A and 7), contacts 61, commutator 37, contacts Rla, relay R6 to line 90. Contacts Rea open to break the hold circuit for relays R4, R5 and R10, thus opening contacts RSa to break the energizing circuit for the magnet 120.

During the whole of this feeding movement the escape magnet 120 and the clamp magnet 122 are operated alternately. This alternate operation is brought about by the contacts 61 which changeover during each step of feeding as already described. When the contacts are in their shifted position, a circuit is made through them to charge a condenser 97 through a rectifier 133. When the contacts 61 return to normal, the condenser 97 dis? charges through the coil of the clamp magnet 122 so that the armature 121 is momentarily attracted. Contacts As the bands move further,

R10a are open whenever contacts RSa are closed and prevent operation of'the punches during this time.

In the reference patent, the clamp magnet is energized before the escape magnet. In the present machine, the. clamp magnet is energized after the escape magnet, as

61 and therefore is energized at each step even though i the escape magnet is continuously energized and, the.

armature 5'7 does not actually engage a tooth.

It may be desired, for example, to punch the Y, position of the first column of the card. The Y key 88 of the keyboard which is shown in the left hand column of, keys in Figure 7 is depressed. This will complete a cir-.

cuit to apunch magnet R22which selects the Y posie tion punch for operation as described in the reference.

patent. The circuit is from line 91, cam contacts 86, key bail contacts 92 (shifted), contacts R3a, contacts 96, contacts R1011, contacts R8c, Y? punch magnet R22 to line 90. The key bail contacts 92 are closed whenever any of the keys controlling punching are depressed and the contacts any of the punches are operated.

The keyboard 87 has a full set of alphabetic keys and also twelve keys corresponding to the twelve punching positions in a column of the card. This leads to two keys being designated X and two keys being designated Y. The X and Y keys relating to the card. positions control corresponding punch magnets R21 and R22 respectively whilst the alphabetic magnets R20, R16 and R20, R15 respectively, since the corresponding punching code is 0,7 and 0,8.

When the punch operates as a result of depressing the Y key, two punch bail contacts 94 and 95 are closed and contacts 96 are opened. Contacts 95 complete a circuit to a relay R3 which shifts contacts R3a to break the circuit to the punch magnets. The bail contacts 96 open just before the contacts Risa shift to protect these contacts against arcing.

A relay R2 is energised in parallel with the escape magnet when contacts 94 close. Relay contacts 92a close to provide a shunt across contacts 94, holding relay R2 and magnet 120 until the cam contacts 61 shift due to movement of the escapement wheel. The clamp magnet 122 will be energized as before through contacts 61 and the card will stop with the second column under the punches.

Relay R3 is maintained energized as long as the key bail contacts 92 are closed. Thus the circuit to the punch magnet is broken until the depressed key has been released.

By depressing a space bar 132 (Figures 1A and 7), a circuit is made to both the escape magnet and the clamp magnet. The escapement wheel will be held by the clamp magnet, but the escape magnet armature will move out of engagement with a tooth of the wheel. When the circuit is broken by releasing the space bar, the armature will fall back on top of the tooth, and the clamp magnet will allow the escapement wheel to turn until the armature 57 engages the next tooth. To achieve this, the armature is given a small lateral displacement by a spring, in a similar manner to that described in the reference patent.

The card will now have the third column under the punches and punching of numeric or alphabetic data in the various fields may be done by depressing the appropiate keys.

If the card is not being completely punched it may be desired to skip certain columns of the card, for example, the twentieth to twenty-ninth inclusive. Skipping is started by depressing a skip key 98 when the twentieth column is reached and stopped by a plug connection (not shown) position to be engaged by key contacts (shifted),

96 are opened whenever X and Y keys control made between the twenty-ninth column contactson the commutator 37 and one of a group of sockets 99.

A relay R1 is energized by the closure of the skip key contacts. Contacts Rlb close to provide a circuit to relays R4, RS and'RlG which, when energized, cause continued step by step feeding of the card as already described. A holding circuit for relay R1 is provided through contacts R421 (shifted) and Rlb (shifted).

Relay contacts Rla shift to connect relay R6 to the sockets 99. When the commutator brush reaches the twenty-ninth column contacts there is a circuit through the plug connections to socket 99 and so to relay R6. Relay R6 is energizedto break the circuit to relays R4, R and R and thus bring the card to rest.

After the last column of the card has been punched the neXt step of feed 'will bring the outer brush of the cornmutator on to a contact which is connected directly to relays R4, R5 and R10. The energisation of these relays will cause automatic feeding until the inner brush of the commutator reaches thecontact before the first column contact to terminatef'eeding as in the case of the first card to be fed from the magazine. The second card was fed on to the bands during part of the feeding cycle of the first card, so that when the bands stop, the first column of the first card will be under the sensing brushes 78 and the first column of the second card will be under the p n h During the feeding movement just described, the cam contacts 86 are open to prevent operation of the punch magnets during this period. The first card, when under the sensing brushes, operates a card lever 85 (Figures 1 and?) to close related contacts which make a circuit to a relay R7. A hold circuit for this relay is made through contacts R7b. This relay acts as an interlock to disable gang punching facilities during punching of the first card by normally open contacts R70.

The Y punching in the first card may be used to control feeding of the card to the stacker 71. A plug connection is made from the first column contacts of the commutator to a plug socket 103. This causes energization of a relay R11 whenever a card is at the first column position. Contacts Rlla shift to connect the stacker magnet 65 to the Y position sensing brush. With a hole in the Y position, the magnet is energised through contacts R110 and R70 (both shifted), the contact roll 51 and the Y brush 78. Energization of this magnet will allow the cam plates 63 to move clear of the grippers, so that in subsequent feeding the card will be carried round to be deposited in the stacker 71.

The space bar 132 is now depressed twice to bring the third column of the second card under the punches. In order to gang punch the information punched in the third to nineteenth columns of the first card into corresponding columns of the second card plug conections (not shown) are made from the third colum contact to one of a group of sockets 100 and from the twentieth column contact to oneof a group of sockets 101.

A relay R8 will be energized through the commutator 37, the connection to socket 100, contacts R711 (shifted), and a switch 104, and the relay will then hold through contacts R8]; and R912. Contacts R80 change over to disconnect the keyboard from line 91 and to connect the sensing mechanism thereto, so that the energization of the punch magnets is now controlled by the latter.

Contacts RSa also changeover to place the energizing circuit undercontrol of the cam contacts 61 instead of the key bail contacts 92. A hole or holes in a column of the first card will thus energize the corresponding punch magnets; the resultant closure of punch bail contacts 94 and 95 will then cause the cards to be fed one column step as already described. This alternate punching and feeding will occur automatically until the twentieth columnis reached.

At the twentieth column a circuit is made to energize a relay R9 through the commutator and the plug connection to socket 101. Contacts R9a open to break the hold circuit for relay R 8 so ending the gang punching operation. Depression of the skip key will cause feeding of the cards to the thirtieth column where manual punching may commence. from now on will be as already described, except that the second card will be fed to the stacker since it is not punched with a Y" in the first column.

Although skipping and gang punching have been described as occurring only once for each card, it will be apparent that by additional plug connections from the cornmutatorcont'acts to the sockets 99, and 101 any desired combination of manual punching gang punching and skipping may be obtained. Provision is also made for preventing gangpunching of a Y stacker control punching if it is desired to gang punchother data contained in the same column; when relay R11 is energized it opens contacts Rllb to disconnect the Y brush from the punch magnet R22.

Owing to thepositioning of the cam plate 63, the Y punching for stacker control may occur in any one of the first three columns of a card, the plug connection from .socket 103 being made to the appropriate contacts of the commutator 37.

If stacker control is not being exercised by Y punching, a stacker key 102 may be depressed to energize the stacker magnet and so selectively stack the cards under direct manual control.

The switch 104, when open, breaks the gang punching set up circuits, thus allowing gang punching to be sup pressed for any particular card without alteration of the plugging.

If the whole card is not being punched it is convenient to make pluggable the connections from the commutator contacts to the relays R4, R5 and R10 and R6 which are shown as permanently wired. Thus if these connections are plugged to the fourteenth andsixtieth contact respectively, then each card will be fed automatically to bring the fifteenth column under the punches and will be fed out automatically after punching of the fifty-ninth column.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for feeding a record card of the punch card type in a column by column manner whereinendless conveyor means are moved step by step, a plurality of longitudinally spaced gripper means secured to the conveyor means for positively clamping the marginal edges of a gripped card, said gripper means each comprising a block secured to the conveyor means, a U- shaped card gripping member pivoted to said block, and toggle action spring means engaging said block and said U-shaped member for biasing the latter respectivelyintoan open position spaced from the conveyor means for releasing a card and a closed position engaging said conveyor means for positively clamping a card between said U-shaped member and said conveyor means, and control means for opening and closing the gripper means, said control means comprising first and second grippers, actuating cam means stationarily located along the path of said conveyor means, said second gripper actuating cam means opening successive gripper means prior to engaging the card but movable into a position clear of the gripper means, said first gripper actuating cam means closing successive gripper means subsequent to engagement of the card by a respective gripper means, and electromagnetically controlled moving means coacting with said second cam means for moving the said cam means to the position clear of the gripper means upon energization of the electromagnetically controlled moving means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said' conveyor comprises an endless band made of flexible substantially non-stretchable material, each of said grip- Operation of the machinemeans having in its base a recess extending transversely to the length of the band and said screw having a stem portion and a shoulder thereon extending into said recess, each recess being of a width such that there is clearance between the sides of the respective recess and the shoulder of the respective screw whereby said band extends across the recess when the portion of the band adjacent to the block of the respective gripper means is in a straight line and the band is free to extend into the respective recess when the said band portion is constrained to follow a curved line.

3. In a record card processing machine, card processing means for advancing a record card in discrete steps, each less in extent than the dimension of said card in the direction of advance, through said card processing means comprising endless conveyor means, card aligning stop means carried by said conveyor means, a plurality of spring-biased gripper means longitudinally spaced along and secured to said conveyor means for movement therewith, said gripper means being each displaceable between an open position in which it is spring biased away from said conveyor means, and a closed position in which it is spring biased in a direction tending to engage said conveyor means whereby positively to clamp the marginal edge of a card abutting said stop means to maintain alignment of such card, a first gripper-actuating cam means disposed in the path of said conveyor means anterior of said card processing means and operative to displace said gripper means to said closed position, a second gripper-actuating cam means disposed in the path of said conveyor means posterior of said processing means and operative to displace said gripper means to said open position whereby to release a card previously clamped thereby, and an intermittently operable drive-means for moving said conveyor means in said discrete steps.

4. In a record card processing machine according to claim 3, hopper means for holding cards to be advanced by said conveyor means, feed rollers means associated with said hopper means and operative to advance cards one by one into abutting relation with said stop means, and driving means for said roller means.

5. In a record card processing machine according to claim 3 in which said conveyor means comprises a pair of parallel spaced endless bands of flexible, substantially inextensible material, and said intermittently operable drive means includes a continuously rota-ted drive shaft and a Geneva mechanism coupled with said shaft and driving said bands in said discrete steps.

6. In a record processing machine according to claim 3 in which said second gripper-actuating cam means comprises a fixed cam means and a cam means ahead of said fixed cam means which is movable relative to said conveyor means out of the path of movement of said gripper means, and in which is provided an electromagnetically operated cam moving means, whereby cards may be selectively released by said fixed cam means or said movable cam means respectively.

7. In a record card processing machine, card processing means for advancing a record card in discrete steps, each less in extent than the dimension of said card in the direction of advance, through said card processing means comprising endless conveyor means including a pair of endless bands of flexible, substantially inextensible material, card aligning stop means carried by said pair of bands, a plurality of gripper means longitudinally spaced along and secured to said bands for movement therewith, said gripper means each being constituted by a block secured to one of said bands, a U-shaped gripping member pivotally secured to said block and a double hair-pin spring engaging both said member and said block whereby said member is pivotable with toggle action between an open position in which it is spaced from said band and a closed card clamping position in which it is spring urged into a direction tending to engage said band, a first gripper-actuating cam means disposed in the path of said conveyor means anterior of said card processing means and operative to displace said gripper means to said closed position, a second gripper-actuating cam means disposed in the path of said conveyor means posterior of said processing means and operative to displace said gripper means to said open position whereby to release a card previously clamped thereby, and an intermittently operable drivemeans for moving said conveyor means in said discrete step-s.

8. In a record card processing machine according to claim 7 in which each said gripper means is secured to one of said pair of hands by shouldered screws passing through said band, the shank of each screw having a shoulder, and each gripper means having a recess across the base thereof transversely to the length of the band, and the shoulders of the screws being spaced from the sides of the recess whereby the band is free to extend into said recess when such band is constrained to follow a curve.

9. 111 a record card processing machine according to claim 7 in which said processing means comprises a line of selectively operable card perforating punches arranged between said pair of bands, at line of perforation sensing brushes also arranged between said pair of bands and spaced from said line of punches by the distance between corresponding points on succeeding cards conveyed by said bands, keyboard means for controlling selective operation of said punches, control means responsive to the output of said sensing brushes and operable to control selective operation of said punches, and manually settable means for rendering said control means operative.

10. In a record card processing machine according to claim 9, a segmented commutator driven in synchronism with the movement of said bands, a relay having an energizing circuit including segments of said commutator and operable to control selective operation of said punches, and manually settable means for establishing said energizing circuit through said commutator at, at least one predetermined point in the cycle of a card sensing operation.

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